Automatic air conductor



March 5, 1946. RAM. CLAYTON, SR 2,395,848

AUTOMATIC AIR CONDUCTOR Fiied May 16, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 1.

INVENTOR.

ROSS M. CLAYTON, SR.

ATTORNEY March 5, 1946. R, M. CLAYTON, SR 2,395,843

' AUTOMATIC AIR CONDUCTOR I Filed May '16; 1945 s Sheets-Sheet 2 NV AN INVENTOR.

ROSS M. CLAYTON, SR.

GLJW u /5M.

ATTORNEY March 5, 1946. R. M. CLAYTON, sR I 2,395,848

AUTOMATIC AIR CONDUCTOR Filed May l6,.1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 28 INVENTOR.

ROSS M. CLAYTON, SR.

ATTORNEY I Patented Mar. 1 946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AU'roMlrricAmooNDUcToR Ross M. Clayton, Sr., Asbury Park, N; J. Application May 16, 1945, Serial No. 594,009

k 4 Claims. (01. 98-44) This invention relates to an automatic air conductor, and is a continuation-in-part of my copending application, Serial Number 528,066, filed March 25, 1944 for Wind deflector and allowed April 24, 1945.

It has for its primary object to provide an air conductor for controlling and directing the flow of variable air currents.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide means of the character referred to for automatically deriving and. controlling air currents for ventilating, cooling and conditioning purposes in buildings and other fixed enclosures.

A further and related object of the present invention is to provide air conducting means which may be located on the outer walls'of building structures and the like in the proximity of windows or other ventilating apertures therein and which may operate effectively to direct currents of air in a predetermined direction withrespect thereto and to prevent the flow of such currents in certain other directions.

More particularly, the invention relates to an air conductor comprising a movable element for controlling and directing variable air currents,

and has for its further object to provide adjustable stop means for said element to: limit the movement thereof, for the purpose of directing said air currents throughv a, space represented by the lateral limits of a ventilating aperture such as a window or the likeand without impairing vision through said aperture. I

It is also an object of this invention to provide an air conductor having a movable airvane and resilient stopmeans for limiting movement thereof between predetermined points with a buf- 1 fer action.

Another object of the presentfinvention is the provision of an air conductor which may oper- .ate automatically tgw direct orstop currents of air, and to facilitate the study of such'cur'rents 1 for the science ,of aeronautics and for a variety of other purposes.

The walls of building structures"are effectivebarriers for prevailing air currentsthe flow of which may generally be horizontal-and along said walls. Therefore the cooling and conditioning of buildings and like fixed inolosuresby window and other ventilating openings in the walls thereof-is generally ineffective without power'drive'n mechanicalcoolingmeans.

Therefore, it is a further object'of this invention to provide an improved air conductor device adapted to be.associate d{ in predetermined rela-,

tion to an aperture in awall of an enclosure and operative to establish unidirectlonal'air currents through said aperture substantially over the-full area thereof, in response to any prevailing air flow in the region of the aperture, without the 7 use of power.

In accomplishing the objects of the present invention, it was found desirable to provide a defleeting sail or plate in front of a window or other opening in the wall of a building or like structure and to support this plate off center and intermediate between its ends on a suitable pivot axis which is substantially parallel with the plane of the opening and the wall and carried by brackdependent upon the'extent to which the deflect-J ing plate may be swung. This may be limited by suitable stopmeans associated with one of the plate-supporting brackets to provide any desired r coverage of; the area of the aperture.

The invention will appear more clearly'from the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings showing, byway of example, a preferred embodiment'of theinventive idea, and itsscope will be pointed out in the appended claims. I

- H In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a frontview of a portion of a building or other enclosure having a window provided with an air conductor device constructedin accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is-a' side view, partly in section, of the device of Figure 1, taken along the-line 2-2 ofFi'gurel. l a Figure 3 is a top view, alsdgpartly-im section, of' the device 'of Figure 1, taken along th line 3-3 0fFigur'e2u Figure 4 is a detailse tibnai'vieworfit-portionof the device'shbm in the precedingfig'uresgand on an enlarged scale with -r'esp'ct*tlierete Figures 5 and 6 show" a modification of the invention, in-perspective,-=Figure one.

larger scale to, show the modification ingreater detail. j:

Referring to Fig as 1to' 4' inclusive, 5 is a wall constituting part er a buildintr'or' otherencl'csure nd provided with a -windoworother opening 6 having a frame'l.

An air conductor device in accordance with the invention is located in front of the opening 6 and includes a wind vane or Sell plate 8 of wood, metal, plastic, or other suitable material adapted to provide strength with light' stantially at a right angle to the plane of the window 6. It is pivotally supported in that position on an axis provided by suitable pivot members 8 and H) which are carried by'upper and lower brackets ll and 12, respectively, secured to and extending substantially centrally from the upper and lower frame elements of the window, in spaced parallel relation to each other.

As shown in greater detail in Figure 4, the pivot It may have a cylindrical or rod-like body portion provided with a longitudinal slot into which the plate 8 is fitted. The plate 8 is held firmly in the slot by suitable means such as rivets l3. The lower end of the pivot I 8 is shouldered to form a pin or pivot stud H which is loosely journalled in the outer end of the bracket l2 and is sufliciently long to extend through a spacing or bearing ring I which serves as a. lower thrust bearing for the pivot pin.

The pivot 9 is constructed in a similar manner and similarly connected to the plate 8 and the bracket l l. Obviously, other suitable means may be used to provide a pivotal support for the defleeting plate 8., However, it is desirable that it provide no appreciable damping action on the free movement of the sail or vane 6.

The bracket II has a central stiffening web or rib l6 and the outer end ll of the bracket serves as a carrier for the pivot 9.

, A base or foot portion I 8 of the bracket II is provided to attach the bracket to the frame 1 by suitable means such as screws B or the like. The bracket (2 is substantially similar in shape to the bracket 1 I and is connected in a similar m'anner to the frame I.

It will be seen that the sail plate, which in size is preferably of the order of the opening to be ventilated, such as the upper or lower sash opening of the window shown, isfree to swing across the front of the opening in response to air currents, and to provide an automaticall movable conductor for fully intercepting and directing the flow of such currents inwardly through the opening. f

To this end, the sail plate is mounted ofi center on the pivot axis, as shown, with the larger vane section or trailing edge of the vane movable adjacent the opening and the leading edge of the vane or smaller. section extending outwardly fromthe pivot axis as a damping and air current collecting means. A present preferred ratio in the areas of the two sections is substantially 2:1. as indicated in the drawings.

The angle of deflection of the plate 8 may be limited by any suitable means, such as pins indicated at 2 0 and 2| carried in spaced relation to each other on opposite sides of the plate 8 by a support bar 22. The bar 22 may be shifted along the bracket (2 to limit the range ofmovement Q of the plate and may be held in position by 1ockv ing pins 23.

It is obvious that the angle of swing or the an-.

gle ofdeflection of the plate 8 which is caused by air currents striking the plate, will depend upon thelocation of thebar '22 and stop pins and II and that it may be varied by varying the position of the support 22 upon the bracket I2.

Normally, the sail or plate is permitted to move between limits, substantially as indicated in Figure 3, to provide full coverage of the opening through which the air stream is to be directed, and the pivot axis is tilted slightly inwardly'at the upper endto provide automatic centering of the vane when at rest.

The sail plate may be made of transparent material as indicated at 24 in Figures 5 and 6, and thus may operate to provide substantially a continuous current-of air through the window opening 25 in response to transverse and changing air currents, without materially detracting from the normal appearance of the window or reducing the light and vision available therethrough.

In the presence of normal transverse air currents, the vane moves on a pivot member 26 carried by a bracket 21 to uncover the opening on the windward side, and provides a barrier or air conductor at the opposite side to carry the currents .into the opening. Likewise, in the presence of other air currents it tends to lie in the air stream and operates in response to, a resultant of the pressures on opposite sides to conduct the current into the opening. Resilient stop means 28 are carried by the support 29 and are adjustable along the bracket as in the preceding embodiment A protecting tip 38, preferably of rubber, is provided on the ends of the stop means.

The device is readily adapted for use on hospital, ofiice and dwelling windows, and on trucks and other enclosures requiring low-cost effective air conditioning or cooling. As an article of manufacture it has wide application because of its low cost construction, effectiveness and quiet operation without the use of power.

It is apparent that the device of the present example is shown only by way of. illustration and not by way of limitation and is subject to certain variations .and modifications without departing from the scope or intent of the present invention. a

What is claimed is:

1. Anautomatic air conductor for deriving and controlling air currents for ventilating purposes in buildings and other enclosures having a ventilating aperture, comprising, in combination, a movable vane plate of the order of the size of said aperture and having a pivot axis extending through said vane plate and off-center between the ends thereof to provid vane arms of unequal lengths on opposite sides of said axis, means pivotally supporting said vane plate for swinging motion about said pivot axis, an elongated bracket having an inner end adapted to be located adiacent said ventilating aperture, and an outer end carrying said supporting means in spaced relation to the aperture, means upon the inner end of the bracket for detachably mounting said bracket adjacent said aperture and with said vane plate located directly opposite said aperture, an elongated support athustably carried by said bracket intermediate the ends of the bracket and extending transversely thereto, and two stops carried by opposite ends of said support and located on opposite sides of said bracket in spaced relationship to said pivot axis for limiting the swinging movement of the vane plate to scan the end of the longer arm thereof across the face of said aperture.

2. In combination, a movable air vane, means pivotally I supporting said air vane for swinging motion about a pivot axis off-center with respect to the ends of the vane, an elongated bracket hav ing an outer end carrying said supporting means for supporting said vane'in operative relation to an aperture as an air conductor, an elongated support upon said bracket intermediate the ends of the bracket and extending transversely thereto, means adjustably carrying said elongated support upon said bracket, whereby the location of the elongated support intermediate the ends of the bracket may be varied, and two stops carried by opposite ends of said support and located on opposite sides of said bracket in adjustable spaced relationship to said pivot axis for limiting the swinging movement of the vane.

3 In combination, a movable air vane, means .pivotally supporting said air vane for swinging motion about a pivot axis oil-center with respect to the ends of the vane, an elongated bracket having an outer end carrying said supporting means for supporting said vane in operative relation to an aperture as an air conductor, an elongated 4. An automatic air conductor comprising in combination, a movable vane plate of the order or the size oi a ventilating aperture and having a pivot axis extending through said vane plate and oil-center between the ends thereof to provide vane arms of unequal lengths on opposite sides or said axis. means pivotally supporting said vane plate for swinging motion about said pivot axis, an elongated bracket having an inner end adapted to be located adjacent said ventilating aperture, and an outer end carrying said supporting means in spaced relation to the aperture, means upon the inner end 01' the bracket for detachably mounting said bracket adjacent said aperture and with said vane plate located directly opposite said aperture,

an elongated support adjustably carried by said a bracket intermediate the ends of the bracket and.

"extending transversely thereto, and two resilient support mounted upon and adjustable along said bracket intermediate the ends of. the bracket and tion of the elongated support intermediate'the extending transversely thereto, whereby the locaends of the bracket may be varied, and two resilient stops carried by opposite ends of said elongated support and located on opposite sides of said bracket in adjustable spaced relationship to said pivot axis for limiting the swinging movement or the vane.

stops carried by opposite ends of said supp rt and located on opposite sides of said bracket in spaced relationship to said pivot axis for limiting the swinging movement of the vane plate to scan the end of the longer arm thereof across the face of said aperture.

ROSS M. CLAYTON, Sn. 

